The invention relates to a hybrid vehicle, i.e. vehicle with an electric drive and an electric energy storage device, in particular a battery for supplying power to the electric drive in operation. The invention furthermore relates to a device for charging the energy storage device, wherein such device typically includes an internal combustion engine with an associated generator, wherein the generator may be the electrical drive, but typically is a machine different from the electrical drive. The invention also relates to a method for operating such a device for charging an electric energy storage device in a motor vehicle.
Hybrid vehicles typically have a so-called operating-mode switch which an operator can operate to select whether the hybrid vehicle should drive exclusively electrically, i.e. whether exclusively electric energy should be drawn from the electric energy storage device to operate the electric drive, or whether a hybrid driving mode is preferred as an operating mode, i.e. an operating mode of the hybrid vehicle, wherein electric energy for powering the electric drive is drawn from the energy storage device at the same time as electric energy is supplied to the energy storage device for charging the energy storage device.
DE 100 41 593 B4 discloses a controller for a hybrid vehicle wherein the voltage is regulated to the voltage of an electric energy storage device. The so-called SOC conservation is known in the art, wherein the state-of-charge of the battery is maintained by operating a Range-Extender. Disadvantageously, it is difficult for the driver to determine the remaining range of the motor vehicle from the optionally displayed state-of-charge of the battery. A targeted manual distance-based adjustment by the driver is not possible.
DE 10 2008 047 923 A1 is concerned with considering a desired electrical range within a process for optimizing operation of a vehicle. A targeted route is assumed and starting a state having a desired electrical range is back-calculated from this targeted route.